1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to surgical devices, and more particularly relates to devices used to excise a tissue sample from a patient.
2. Related Technology
For the diagnosis of cancer, or pre-cancerous tissue, it is often necessary to excise a tissue sample from a patient. One particular type of cancer where obtaining a sample is problematic is cervical cancer. Typically, a cone-shaped sample is removed for pathological analysis. During this procedure, generally called conization, a cone-shaped section of the uterine cervix is formed. This is often achieved by either cutting the cervix with a knife (termed the “cold knife” procedure) or cautery (burning) by a LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure) or laser beam.
Each one of these two methods is time consuming and produces an irregular cervical tissue sample. There are also other drawbacks with these techniques. With the LEEP or laser procedure, the margins of the cone shaped tissue sample may be subjected to burning. This burning may mask the true nature of the tissue and render the pathological diagnosis difficult.
Accordingly, what is needed is a device that produces a tissue sample with regular margins and which does not cause burning of the edges of the tissue sample.